A question about the B'ham to Oxford ride - 6th July

[caz]

Hi, I'm new here, but having been lurking for a few days!  I have already posted this on a couple of other forums that I frequent, but thought I'd post it here too, to see if I get any different replies.

My question is has anyone done this ride before?  I'm considering doing it this year, although I've never ridden this type of distance before .   What I want to know is how difficult/easy is it and is anyone going to do it?  It would be great to do a ride like this with so many other people doing it too.  With the back up that is available, it would boost my confidence to do a similar ride in the future.

[rogerzilla]

Hi, I'm new here, but having been lurking for a few days!  I have already posted this on a couple of other forums that I frequent, but thought I'd post it here too, to see if I get any different replies.

My question is has anyone done this ride before?  I'm considering doing it this year, although I've never ridden this type of distance before .   What I want to know is how difficult/easy is it and is anyone going to do it?  It would be great to do a ride like this with so many other people doing it too.  With the back up that is available, it would boost my confidence to do a similar ride in the future.

The main problem is likely to be a headwind, since you head south.

I don't know the exact route but I know the area, and it's generally flat or rolling.  Try going out and doing 40 miles with your local CTC Saturday group, if there is one, and then you'll be fairly confident.

[teethgrinder]

My question is has anyone done this ride before?  I'm considering doing it this year, although I've never ridden this type of distance before .   What I want to know is how difficult/easy is it and is anyone going to do it?  It would be great to do a ride like this with so many other people doing it too.  With the back up that is available, it would boost my confidence to do a similar ride in the future.

It depends on how fit or unfit you are as to how easy or difficult it will be. It's what I would call rolling countryside, but you might call it hilly. I don't know the route, but I guess that it is pretty direct and along back lanes.
Just go and ride it and find out for yourself.
It will boost your confidence even more if you just go and ride. Just ride at your own pace You'll get there if you keep the pedals turning.

[caz]

Thanks for your replies.

I've done a couple of rides of about 35-37 miles, and tend to go out with a CTC led ride once a month and we generally do between 25 and 35 miles.  I'm a lot fitter than I used to be 3 years ago!  I intend going at a slower pace than normal (that's if I can manage to do so.  I have a habit of riding fairly fast, and going any slower seems soooooo sloooow by myself.  It's easier to do on a led ride when someone else sets the pace!)

What sort of food should I take with me?  I was thinking fig rolls and slices of malt loaf.

Is anybody else doing this ride?  It would be nice to put faces to names!

[Paul]

My question is has anyone done this ride before? 

Hi Caz

Yep - it was my first ever long ride. I did it in 1993/4 (I forget which). It's a really good one for your first at this distance (I think it was 67 miles), because:

• it is relatively flat (though I do remember thinking about getting off to walk at more than one point)
• it is well supported (my mate lost a spoke, and there was someone just down the road carrying out repairs who fixed it in a jiffy)

• the route is marshalled, so you don't need to worry/think about that

Just drink and eat a bit more often than you think you need to, and enjoy.

Hope the weather's good for you.

[caz]

Thanks Paul, that's really encouraging.

[teethgrinder]

Is anybody else doing this ride?  It would be nice to put faces to names!

You're not doing much to "sell" the ride are you?
Wherezit start? Where in Birmingham I mean, it's gotta start in Brum, obviously. Hasn't it? (Thinks of PBP and LEL)
What time, any link to a website?
Gotta know if it's the kind of ride you want to do before you commit yourself to actualy ride it.
Never heard of it myself. Could be a goer or just might not be for me.

[Si]

it's gotta start in Brum, obviously. Hasn't it?

Erm, no.  Well, OK, Solihull but they don't like to be thought of as part of Brum.

LINK to ride web site

[rogerzilla]

It's Basil W Brush's stomping ground.

[robgul]

It's Basil W Brush's stomping ground.

Well, not really ... he's really from the land of dark chocolate ... Bournville, miles away - although has been seen on a ride that started in Solihull.

Rob

[caz]

Is anybody else doing this ride?  It would be nice to put faces to names!

You're not doing much to "sell" the ride are you?
Wherezit start? Where in Birmingham I mean, it's gotta start in Brum, obviously. Hasn't it? (Thinks of PBP and LEL)
What time, any link to a website?
Gotta know if it's the kind of ride you want to do before you commit yourself to actualy ride it.
Never heard of it myself. Could be a goer or just might not be for me.

I wasn't really trying to "sell" the ride, I was just interested in whether other people had done it, what it was like and if anyone's doing it this year!

Bodger has already put a link to the site, but briefly it's a 70 mile charity event, run by Bike Events, starting from Solihull Sixth Form College between 8 am and 10 am.  As it's on my doorstep, so to speak, it would be daft not to do it!

[Basil]

It's Basil W Brush's stomping ground.

Well, not really ... he's really from the land of dark chocolate ... Bournville, miles away - although has been seen on a ride that started in Solihull.

Rob

Yes, not really my side of town.  I do occasionally ride over that way, but it always seems a shame to ride through miles of urban Brum to get to a ride, when really all I need to do is drop two miles south to get to the open lanes of rural Borsetshire.

It's more DavyD/Didge land.  Perhaps it's time I popped over to see him again.

Caz, when's the next Solihull ride?

[caz]

It's more DavyD/Didge land.  Perhaps it's time I popped over to see him again.

Caz, when's the next Solihull ride?

Hi Basil

Recognise your name, but I don't think we've met!  If you mean the Saturday Stretchers, it's this Saturday 10 am from Brueton Park (the lake end of the park!)  I haven't seen DaveD on this ride for a number of months, although I know he frequents the Cyclesolihull rides (he is on a number of the photos on the website), which are now weekly.  Their list of rides can be found here.

caz

[Si]

Unfortunate that it seems to be on the same date as one of the popular south Birmingham audaxes too 
The audax having the advantages of....it finishes in the same place that it starts (assuming that you can foolow the routesheet  ) and it's about a tenner cheaper.  But then you don't get to hang out in Oxford for a bit at the end.

[caz]

Unfortunate that it seems to be on the same date as one of the popular south Birmingham audaxes too 
The audax having the advantages of....it finishes in the same place that it starts (assuming that you can foolow the routesheet  ) and it's about a tenner cheaper.  But then you don't get to hang out in Oxford for a bit at the end.

What audax is that?  Where does it start and what distance?

[Basil]

It's more DavyD/Didge land.  Perhaps it's time I popped over to see him again.

Caz, when's the next Solihull ride?

Hi Basil

Recognise your name, but I don't think we've met!  If you mean the Saturday Stretchers, it's this Saturday 10 am from Brueton Park (the lake end of the park!)  I haven't seen DaveD on this ride for a number of months, although I know he frequents the Cyclesolihull rides (he is on a number of the photos on the website), which are now weekly.  Their list of rides can be found here.

caz

Hi matey.
No, don't know if we've met.  Probably shared a ride or two perhaps.

Unfortunately I'm back in West Wales this w/e. 
I'll wait for the rides list to be updated and I'll try to get to the next one.

[Si]

Unfortunate that it seems to be on the same date as one of the popular south Birmingham audaxes too 
The audax having the advantages of....it finishes in the same place that it starts (assuming that you can foolow the routesheet  ) and it's about a tenner cheaper.  But then you don't get to hang out in Oxford for a bit at the end.

What audax is that?  Where does it start and what distance?

starts in Solihull and there are three distances: 100km, 160, and 200km.

here's a link (i hope) to the shorter on:

Audax calender